God is a controversial subject, but we can all agree that food exists, and is often divine. Shoba Narayan joins Amit Varma in episode 207 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe her explorations of religion and food in India. Also check out : 1. Food and Faith: A Pilgrim's Journey through India -- Shoba Narayan. 2. Shoba Narayan's books on Amazon . 3. Shoba Narayan's website and columns . 4. The Indianness of Indian Food — Episode 95 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Doctor). 5. A Scientist in...
Jan 10, 2021•2 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Finally, 2020 is behind us. It changed our world, the way we live our lives, and how we relate to each other and to ourselves. Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok join Amit Varma in episode 206 of The Seen and the Unseen to take stock of the year gone by, with each of them picking five lessons they feel 2020 holds for us. Because they can't count, though, they end up with more than 15 -- here they are, below. (Listen to the episode for the elaborations and arguments.) The Lessons : 0. Don't tak...
Jan 03, 2021•3 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Pandemic, lockdown, masks, vaccine, state failure, state overreach: India's been here before, and it's been worse. Chinmay Tumbe joins Amit Varma in episode 205 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how 40 million lives were lost in the subcontinent between 1817 and 1920 in the cholera, plague and influenza pandemics -- and the lessons we need to learn from them. Also check out : 1. Age of Pandemics -- Chinmay Tumbe. 2. India Moving -- Chinmay Tumbe. 3. India = Migration -- Episode 128 of The Se...
Dec 27, 2020•3 hr 59 min•Season 1Ep. 205
Indian cooking is often treated as a mystical art -- but it is the science behind it that should fill us with wonder. Krish Ashok joins Amit Varma in episode 204 of The Seen and the Unseen to speak about Masala Lab, his effort at explaining this great art from scientific first principles. Every meal of yours can now be a romantic adventure filled with the ecstasy of insight -- whether you cook it, eat or or do both while playing the violin. Also check out: 1. Masala Lab -- Krish Ashok. 2. Krish ...
Dec 20, 2020•3 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 204
If someone from the year 1990 visited the world of 2020, it would seem magical, even fictional. Vasant Dhar joins Amit Varma in episode 203 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about how technology will continue to change our world in ways we cannot imagine. Will the future upgrade us -- or will it make us obsolete? Also check out : 1. Vasant Dhar at NYU Stern . 2. Brave New World -- hosted by Vasant Dhar . 3. When Should We Trust Machines? -- Vasant Dhar at TEDxHamilton. 4. Vasant Dhar on machine...
Dec 13, 2020•3 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 203
The dominance of Hindu nationalism in Indian politics is so complete that it seems like it was inevitable. Was it? Vinay Sitapati joins Amit Varma in episode 202 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the BJP's long journey to this point, as reflected in the jugalbandi of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. Also check out : 1. Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi -- Vinay Sitapati. 2. Half-Lion: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Transformed India -- Vinay Sitapati. 3. The BJP's Magic Formula -- Episode ...
Dec 06, 2020•4 hr 46 min•Season 1Ep. 202
Cricket has a unique place in Indian society, and has touched and shaped millions of lives. Ramachandra Guha joins Amit Varma in episode 201 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe how he came to love, play and even administer the 'most subtle and sophisticated game known to humankind.' Also check out : 1. The Commonwealth of Cricket -- Ramachandra Guha. 2. A Corner of a Foreign Field -- Ramachandra Guha. 3. The Picador Book of Cricket -- Edited by Ramachandra Guha. 4. Ramachandra Guha's books on...
Nov 29, 2020•2 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 201
The tables are turned in episode 200 of The Seen and the Unseen. Host Amit Varma is in the firing line, replying to questions from 22 of his past guests and fans as Shruti Rajagopalan plays proctor. They talk about poker, podcasting, politics, policy and the personal. Show Notes 1. Select episodes of The Seen and the Unseen featuring Shruti Rajagopalan ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ), Manu Pillai ( 98 , 127 , 156 ), VK Karthika , Rajat Ubhaykar , Chinmay Tumbe , Prem Panicker ( 41 , 46 ), Joy Bhattacharjy...
Nov 22, 2020•5 hr•Season 1Ep. 200
Figuring out what consumers want is pretty similar to figuring out what society wants. Adman and author Ambi Parameswaran joins Amit Varma in episode 199 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his insights from his decades in advertising, and the many books he has written. Also check out : 1. Spring: Bouncing Back From Rejection -- Ambi Parameswaran. 2. Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles: India through 50 Years of Advertising -- Ambi Parameswaran. 3. Sponge: Leadership Lessons I Learnt From My Clients -- Ambi ...
Nov 15, 2020•2 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 199
As our cities are growing, our citizens are growing apathetic. Can we reassert our rights and reform our governance? Ashwin Mahesh joins Amit Varma in episode 198 of The Seen and the Unseen for a wide-ranging conversation on urban governance, citizenship, education and much more. Also check out : 1. Participatory Democracy -- Episode 160 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ashwin Mahesh). 2. Ashwin Mahesh's website . 3. A New, Urban India -- Ashwin Mahesh. 4. The Publicly Managed City -- Ashwin Mahesh...
Nov 08, 2020•3 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 198
Stories and conversations can shape the world, and ourselves, in ways that we often don't appreciate. Neelesh Misra joins Amit Varma in episode 197 of The Seen and the Unseen to chat about his journey as a storyteller and interviewer. Also check out : 1. Neelesh Misra's YouTube page . 2. Gaon Connection . 3. Slow . 4. Neelesh Misra's interviews with Pankaj Tripathi , Tigmanshu Dhulia , Sanjay Mishra , Piyush Mishra , Vishal Bhardwaj , Ayushmann Khurrana , Anurag Kashyap , Nawazuddin Siddiqui , T...
Nov 01, 2020•3 hr 55 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Good data journalism can reveal otherwise unseen truths about our society. Pioneering journalist Rukmini S joins Amit Varma in episode 196 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the insights data brought to her journalism, and her groundbreaking podcast on Covid-19, The Moving Curve. Also check out : 1. The Moving Curve -- Rukmini S's podcast, also on all podcast apps. 2. Rukmini S at HuffPost , Hindu , Scroll , Mint , Times of India ( 1 , 2 ) and India Spend . 3. Canary -- Amy Brittain's podc...
Oct 25, 2020•3 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Decades after the trauma of separation, Partition remains with us. Aanchal Malhotra joins Amit Varma in episode 195 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about her work in excavating the memories of Partition survivors through the objects they carried with them -- and their resonance in these modern times. Also check out : 1. Aanchal Malhotra's website . 2. Remnants of a Separation -- Aanchal Malhotra. 3. Museum of Material Memory . 4. Profile of Aanchal Malhotra by Mayank Austen Soofi, 2010. 5. Na...
Oct 18, 2020•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 195
The constitution of India, it has been said, is not a book but a periodical. Starting with Jawaharlal Nehru, every prime minister who wanted to do something unconstitutional simply amended the constitution. Tripurdaman Singh joins Amit Varma in episode 194 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss India's First Amendment, which began a rot that never ended. Also check out : 1. Sixteen Stormy Days -- Tripurdaman Singh. 2. Imperial Sovereignty and Local Politics -- Tripurdaman Singh. 3. The books of C...
Oct 11, 2020•3 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 194
The conflict between the government and the central bank seems like an arcane one that only wonks care about -- but it affects the lives of all of us. Viral Acharya joins Amit Varma in episode 193 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why we should all join him in the battle against Fiscal Dominance. Also check out: 1. Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India -- Viral Acharya. 2. Viral Acharya at NYU Stern . 2. Guaranteed to Fail -- Viral Acharya et al. 3. Indian Banks: A Time to Reform?...
Oct 08, 2020•3 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 193
There is much romance in being on the open road, always on the move. But not for the long-distance trucker, trapped in a moving cocoon, always travelling but getting nowhere slowly. Rajat Ubhaykar joins Amit Varma in episode 192 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe his insights from hitchhiking around India on trucks. Also check out : 1. Truck de India!: A Hitchhiker's guide to Hindustan -- Rajat Ubhaykar. 2. A Free Man -- Aman Sethi. 3. English, August -- Upamanyu Chatterjee. 4. Bird on the W...
Sep 27, 2020•3 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 192
In normal times, cities are an engine of prosperity. In these strange times, they are also an engine of pandemic. Vaidehi Tandel joins Amit Varma in episode 191 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how important cities are to civilisation, and how Covid-19 will affect the way we live. Also check out: 1. COVID-19 a Grim Reminder for Govts -- Vaidehi Tandel. 2. Don’t Blame Dense Cities. They Have Been Resilient -- Reuben Abraham and Vaidehi Tandel. 3. Why India Has the Fastest-Growing Cities -- K...
Sep 20, 2020•2 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Whatever you say of India, an old cliche goes, the opposite is also true. India has always been homophobic -- but it also contains Queeristan. Parmesh Shahani joins Amit Varma in episode 190 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his long ongoing battle for LGBTQ inclusion in corporate India -- and much beyond. Also check out : 1. Queeristan -- Parmesh Shahani. 2. Gay Bombay -- Parmesh Shahani. 3. Godrej India Culture Lab . 4. Being Gay, Loving Books -- Episode 141 of The Seen and the Unseen (...
Sep 13, 2020•3 hr 49 min•Season 1Ep. 190
These are exciting times for Indian cinema, as multiple worlds and sensibilities collide in the streets and studios of Mumbai. Actors Rasika Dugal and Mukul Chadda join Amit Varma in episode 189 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe their journeys in this brave new world. Rasika's films: 1. Kshay (Amazon Prime). 2. Qissa (Mubi). 3. Manto (Netflix). 4. Hamid (Netflix). 5. Lootcase (Hotstar). 6. Tu Hai Mera Sunday (Netflix). Rasika's shows: 1. Delhi Crime (Netflix). 2. Mirzapur (Amazon Prime). 3....
Sep 06, 2020•2 hr 57 min•Season 1Ep. 189
The Indian economy has been on a wild ride, traumatic in parts, for the last 73 years. And Arvind Subramanian was on a wild ride of his own as Chief Economic Advisor in the Indian government between 2014 and 2018. Arvind joins Amit Varma in episode 188 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss both these journeys. Also check out : 1. Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy -- Arvind Subramanian. 2. India's Turn: Understanding the Economic Transformation -- Arvind Subramanian. 3. Eclip...
Aug 30, 2020•3 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 188
Dadabhai Naoroji and the Fight for India Description: In the 19th century, when the Idea of India was so nebulous, what did it mean to be a freedom fighter? Dinyar Patel joins Amit Varma in episode 187 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe Dadabhai Naoroji's battle to transform India from within the British empire. Also check out: 1. Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism -- Dinyar Patel. 2. Dadabhai Naoroji's books on Amazon. 3. Dadabhai Naoroji -- RP Masani. 4. Three Statesmen: Gokhale, Gandh...
Aug 23, 2020•2 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 187
As India completes 73 years, it's worth taking stock of our journey so far. Pratap Bhanu Mehta joins Amit Varma in episode 186 of The Seen and the Unseen, an Independence Day Special that takes a discursive look at the political and social currents that made us what we are. Also check out: 1. Pratap Bhanu Mehta's writing in the Indian Express . 2. The Burden of Democracy -- Pratap Bhanu Mehta. 3. On Politics -- Alan Ryan. 4. The Making of Modern Liberalism -- Alan Ryan. 5. Human Dignity -- Georg...
Aug 15, 2020•3 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 186
It is a humanitarian and moral failure that 73 years after Independence, our education system remains broken. We have failed our children through all this time. Karthik Muralidharan joins Amit Varma in episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his insights from years of research on the ground. We can fix this. Is the NEP part of the solution? Also check out: 1. Karthik Muralidharan's bio at UCSD . 2. Walking the Talk -- Inga Kiderra's profile of Karthik Muralidharan. 3. Reforming the India...
Aug 09, 2020•3 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 185
The rivalry between Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb is often considered a foundational one for Islam in India. Good Muslim vs Bad Muslim. But it's not quite that simple. Historian Supriya Gandhi joins Amit Varma in episode 184 of The Seen and the Unseen to point out that the truth is complex, and there are no easy binaries. Also check out : 1. The Emperor Who Never Was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India -- Supriya Gandhi. 2. City of Djinns -- William Dalrymple. 3. Jill Lepore and Shamsur Rahman Faruqi on Am...
Aug 02, 2020•2 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 184
In a complex world where the truth is up for grabs, we need narrative nonfiction. Samanth Subramanian joins Amit Varma in episode 183 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the art and craft of this form of literature. Also discussed: A Dominant Character , Samanth's book on JBS Haldane, and the intersection of science and politics. Also check out: 1. A Dominant Character -- Samanth Subramanian. 2. Samanth Subramanian's website , Amazon page and his work at the Guardian and the New Yorker . 3....
Jul 26, 2020•2 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 183
We live in an age of competing monologues. We talk, but we do not listen. Russ Roberts joins Amit Varma for a wide-ranging conversation in episode 182 of The Seen and the Unseen. Also check out: 1. Econ Talk -- Russ Roberts's podcast. 2. Russ Roberts's website , archived writing and books . 3. How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life -- Russ Roberts. 4. The Theory of Moral Sentiments -- Adam Smith. 5. The Three Languages of Politics -- Arnold Kling. 6. The Three Blind Sports of Politics -- Russ Rober...
Jul 19, 2020•2 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Why is there this tension between China and India? To understand that, we must uncover many layers of the past. Foreign Policy scholars Hamsini Hariharan and Shibani Mehta join Amit Varma in episode 181 of The Seen and the Unseen to share their insights on the rich history of the interactions between these two great civilizations. Also check out : 1. What Does China Want? -- Episode 143 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manoj Kewalramani). 2. Chinese Foreign Policy -- Episode 81 of The Seen and the ...
Jul 12, 2020•3 hr 59 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Indian decision makers often blindly copy public policy from abroad, without considering whether it would work in local conditions. Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok join Amit Varma in episode 180 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain the damage caused by such 'isomorphic mimicry,' and why it happens in the first place. Also check out : 1. Premature Imitation and India’s Flailing State -- Shruti Rajagopalan & Alexander Tabarrok. 2. Modern Principles of Macroeconomics -- Tyler Cowen & Alex Tab...
Jul 05, 2020•2 hr•Season 1Ep. 180
India suffers from a predatory state, and nothing illustrates this better than the sorry state of our street vendors. Prashant Narang joins Amit Varma in episode 179 of The Seen and the Unseen to elaborate on this unseen tragedy of the streets around us. Also check out: 1. Street Vendor Act 2014: Progress Report -- 2017 , 2018-19 , 2020 . 2. Do Street Vendors Have a Right to the City? -- Prashant Narang & Vidushi Sabharwal. 3. The Ease of Doing Business on the Streets of India -- Bhuvana Anand, ...
Jun 28, 2020•2 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 179
Journalism used to be a quest to establish the truth. It has now become a battle of conflicting narratives. We have gone from seeking to shouting. What went wrong? Nidhi Razdan joins Amit Varma in episode 178 of The Seen and the Unseen to share insights from her eventful career. Also check out: 1. Left, Right and Centre: The Idea of India -- Nidhi Razdan (editor). 2. Special: Inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Dec 2004) -- NDTV/Nidhi Razdan. 3. Best in the Field (w Nidhi Razdan) -- NDTV. 4. The F...
Jun 21, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 178
